FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 6, 2023
CONTACT: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org
 

NFL Veteran Ray Lucas Returns to Rutgers for Talk
on Student-Athlete Opioid Use

CAMDEN, NJ — Former NFL and Rutgers quarterback Ray Lucas will share his story of addiction and recovery with students at Rutgers University – Camden on Tuesday, October 10.

The event, titled “A Conversation About Athletes and Opioids,” will be hosted at the Rutgers University – Camden Campus Center from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. It is being held as part of the annual Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day in New Jersey and made possible through a partnership between the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, Rutgers University – Camden and the Camden County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Lucas, a former star quarterback at Rutgers who had an eight-year career in the NFL, will share stories from his playing days and detail his journey through opioid addiction and subsequent recovery. He will emphasize the importance of staying educated and informed about the risks of prescription opioids, especially for student-athletes who are often prescribed these medications due to sports-related injuries.

“This event offers attendees a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the opioid crisis and explore how they can actively contribute to solutions within their communities,” said Angelo M. Valente, executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “Parents, faculty and coaches must be aware of the risks tied to opioids and student-athletes.”

During his football career, Lucas sustained numerous injuries, leading to over a dozen surgeries during and after his playing days. These physical challenges eventually led to a dependency on prescription opioids, with Lucas, at times, taking over 1,400 pills a month.

Studies have shown that students who played at least one interscholastic sport during high school had greater odds for lifetime medical prescription opioid use.

For additional details about this event, visit KnockOutDay.DrugFreeNJ.org.

###

Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.